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Raw: Your First Aquarium

Starting your first aquarium

Starting an aquarium is a lot of fun and seems quite easy.
But unfortunately there is a lot to consider and the choices you make now will affect the future of your aquarium and the fish you can keep in it.

In this blog we discuss what you need to start an aquarium and what you should pay particular attention to.

We will cover the following points:

  • The size of the aquarium and the supplies needed to set it up.

  • The substrate and breeding ground

  • Type Filter systems

  • Relief

  • CO2 systems

  • Wood, stone and plants

  • Fish

The size of the box:
 The size of the tank; what is the space for it and what kind of fish do I want to keep?
These are the two main questions that will keep you busy.
(and perhaps the additional costs)

Nowadays, it is easiest for a starter to buy a starter box.
These are not too big, up to about 110 litres, and will already have a basic set of lights, filters and accessories.

These types of containers are often financially very attractive and the fact that you can place them almost anywhere and are not dependent on furniture makes them very popular.

Unfortunately, the disadvantage of these containers is that they often have built-in filters, etc.
This makes it more difficult to switch to other filters or materials later.

You are often dependent on that brand and will be somewhat stuck with it.

It is also important to know that if you want to keep larger fish, these tanks often have to be replaced by a larger aquarium after a year or two.

Advantages of a small container:

  • No cumbersome furniture

  • Often supplied complete with filter and light

  • Often for a fairly reasonable price

Disadvantages of a small tank:

  • Facilities and fish selection are limited.

  • Built-in equipment makes you dependent on a particular brand.

A large container is often a sight that can transform a boring room into a space of tranquility.
The bins are dependent on a piece of furniture and that is not without reason.
Since the containers hold a lot of liters (or weight), you will definitely need something sturdy to put it on.
The handy thing about this furniture is that it is designed in such a way that you can store all your equipment and fishing gear out of sight.

In a large tank you have a lot of choice in terms of furnishings and the type of fish you can keep in it.
Because large containers are often sold separately, you will have to do your own research into filter equipment, as these are not always supplied as standard.

It is also important to know where to put the container, because moving these containers is a job.

Maintenance of these tanks can sometimes take a little more time, but usually because of large external filter systems it is often easier.

You can understand that when changing the water, the difference between a 50 liter tank and a 160 liter tank of 25% can be a big difference.

Advantages of a large container:

  • More choice in furnishings and fish species

  • Gives a nice atmosphere in the room

  • Often user-friendly despite its size

Disadvantages of a large container:

  • Difficult to move

  • Changing the water will take a little more time

  • You will have to build a filter system yourself.

As you can read, choosing a tank is your first step into the world of aquariums.
There will also be some personal preference and latitude (including financial) that will play a role in this choice.

The substrate and breeding ground:

The choice of substrate and breeding ground mainly depends on the type of fish you want to keep.

Cichlids and predatory fish will not often be kept together with plants and in that case a substrate is not necessary.
But if you have a fully planted community tank, you are better off putting down a nutrient substrate so that you do not have to use liquid fertilizers or root caps.

With a nutrient medium you can often do more than 2 years.
The type of gravel is also important. First of all, always make sure that you choose fish or aquarium friendly rock or gravel in the specialty store or online.
This type of gravel is often smooth and will prevent bottom fish such as Khuli or Corydora from tearing themselves open on the bottom.

Before you place gravel, it is always useful to rinse it out. Often it is still covered in stone dust.

To build up a base, it is best to first create a nutrient medium of approximately 1 to 2 cm thick as a thumbnail.

On top of that you place your chosen gravel or rock. This layer should be about 3 to 5 cm.

You will already notice that this will take up some space, but it is a plus for a good climate in the tank.

Once these layers are applied, you can poke a hole with your finger or tweezers and plant your plants in your chosen spot.

Step-by-step plan:

  • Step 1: Apply nutrient medium 1 to 2 cm thick

  • Step 2: Cover the nutrient substrate with a 3 to 5 cm thick layer of soil/gravel

  • Step 3: Fill the container halfway with water

  • Step 4: Poke holes in the bottom to plant your plants

Filter systems:

Filter systems are one of the most important components in your tank.
Because they filter the water from harmful substances and thus keep your tank clean, this is the difference between life and death for many of your inhabitants.

Filter systems can be divided into 2 groups; internal and external filters.

The internal filter:

The internal filter is located in the tank itself.
This is often attached to one of the aquarium walls by means of suction cups.

There are some (starter) tanks where the filter is built in and is located in a compartment in the tank itself.

These filters are often of simple quality and often consist of one or more sponges and a separate compartment for other types of filter materials (think of materials such as carbon or ceramic bio filter materials).

The filter will work with replaceable sponges or cartridges depending on the type.
When cleaning and/or replacing, you are therefore always working in the tank.

The external filter:

As the name suggests, an external filter is often located on the outside. These are also somewhat larger in size.

By means of a pump and a safe filter hose, the water is pumped to the filter, after which it passes through several layers of filter wool and/or materials.
To then be pumped back through a hose that leads back to the tank.

The good thing about these filters is that there is a lot of room for multiple materials and therefore much more precision can be achieved in getting water values ​​and a tank in the right condition for specific residents or purposes.

These filters are often used for tanks above 100 liters.
These filters are less suitable for smaller tanks and/or nano aquariums.

Relief:

Lighting is another important aspect of your tank as it should simulate daily sunlight.

Many tanks already have light, but it can sometimes be useful to check what kind of light is best for the inhabitants of your tank.

Also important with light is the duration of the light incidence. Too much light can cause disruption to your tank.
A good duration of lighting the tank is approximately between 6 and 10 hours, depending on the inhabitants and the amount of plants in the tank.

If there is insufficient lighting, you will see that certain plants will not do as well.
This in turn means that they are less able to do their job and there is less oxygen in the tank, which in turn affects the inhabitants of your aquarium.

With too much lighting you will see algae start to grow and it is better to turn the lighting on for a shorter period of time or to break the cycle by turning the light on for 4 hours, off for 4 hours and then on again for 4 hours.

A good tool to help regulate all of this is a timer.

In some cases these will be built into the lighting technology and in other cases you will have to purchase them separately.

CO2 system:

CO2 is not necessary for all types of tanks.

We often use these types of systems for containers that are well planted.

CO2 is a nutrient for your plants and other plant species such as moss and algae.

CO2 can be added in several ways. Consider using tablets, liquids and CO2 gases (bottles).

For many, liquid CO2 or a fertilizer mix containing CO2 will be enough to keep plants alive.

Tablets are handy, but will indirectly affect your water values ​​and will be used well for those purposes and to give your plants a boost.

A CO2 system is much more accurate. Often it comes with a bubble counter and a non-return valve/pressure regulator that allows you to adjust everything to the bubble.

These types of systems are often a bit more cumbersome and are more often used with larger tanks, while smaller tanks make more use of the other two methods.

Wood, Stone and Plants:

The layout of your tank is a matter of personal taste, but here too there are things you can pay attention to.

Wood:
Firstly, always make sure your wood comes from an aquarium/fish dealer and has had the necessary precautions to ensure it will not damage your tank.

Afterwards, it is advisable to soak the wood in, for example, a bucket of water.
This is to rinse off dust and other types of dirt if necessary.

After that, it is best to leave the wood in the water until it has absorbed enough water that it does not float.
If this takes a long time, it is wise to weigh down the piece of wood and keep it on the bottom.

This can be done by means of a stone or something else heavy.

When the wood no longer floats you can safely place it in the container.

One disadvantage we see with aquariums with wood is that the wood breaks down slowly and can sometimes give the water in the tank a slightly yellow color.

We also often see when cleaning the filter that it can turn brown due to the wood.
This mainly concerns the filter material itself, such as sponges.


Stones:

From rubble to dragon rock, there are many different types of rock that you can place in the container.

Always assume that as you see him above water, he will always be a shade darker in the tank.

Make sure you get your rocks from an aquarium store or other store that sells this type of specialized rock.

This is to ensure that the stone can be used safely in the tub.

First rinse the stone under the tap or in a bucket of water and you will see that no matter which type of stone you choose, dust will always come off.

To place multiple stones on top of each other, we recommend securing them with aquarium glue to prevent the risk of them falling over.

The tank itself may look and feel sturdy, but accidents can easily happen when cleaning or changing the water.

Plants:

Plants are a suitable decoration for almost any community tank.

Unfortunately, it is more difficult to place plants near cichlids and predatory fish.

Plants come in many shapes and sizes and from floating plants to mosses, there is something for everyone.

As already indicated with the CO2 systems, plants are dependent on a few factors in the tank.

The lighting, nutrients or nutrient medium, CO2 and temperature.

For some plants you will need to add extra fertilizer, while other plants require less.

Plants with green leaves are often less dependent on extra fertilization, because their chlorophyll converts light into nutrients.
This is called photosynthesis, something that plants above the water also use a lot.

Unfortunately, red plants lack this property and are therefore often more dependent on other forms of nutrition.

In addition to these differences, there are also plant species that are better not to plant.

We are talking here about plants whose roots are often present above ground.

Good examples of these are the Anubias family, the Buchephalandra family and the Microsorum family.

These plants are therefore very suitable for attaching to stone or wood using aquarium glue or yarn.

Fish:

Finally, we come to the type of fish you want to put in the tank.

Although this choice influences all other factors, the fish are often the last thing you put in the tank.

You want to make sure that your tank has been running for a few weeks so that a bacterial culture develops in the water that will ensure stable water values.

But it is therefore not a bad idea to know in advance what kind of tank you want to keep.

There are many different types of fish but the choice actually comes down to 2 different tanks.

The company box:

A community tank, as the name suggests, houses several species of non-predatory fish that will inhabit the aquarium (often in schools).

Examples of these types of fish are:

  • Neon family

  • Gup family

  • Salmon family

  • Corydora family

  • Ancistrus and other algae eating fish

  • Swordtails and plates

And there are many more that can fit in a community tank.

The Cichlid tank:

The cichlid tank is often somewhat larger and houses fewer inhabitants because cichlids often continue to grow.

Although you can put some cichlid species together, it is a good idea to first find out whether this is possible.

Some cichlids, such as the moonfish cichlid or the Malawi cichlid, cannot be kept in a tank with other cichlids.

This is because other cichlids will attack the moonfish and because Malawi's are quite dominant. accessories

Next article Fertilizing Aquarium Plants: A Beginner's Guide